College of Law Commemorates 100th Birthday with Special Ceremony in Moscow

The College has conducted centennial observances throughout the state in 2009, including the appearance in March, at Boise and Moscow, of the Hon. John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States. On Friday, September 18, Idaho State Board of Education President Paul Agidius (UI Law ’84), University of Idaho President Duane Nellis, and Idaho Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis (UI Law ’81) collaborated in a special ceremony at the College of Law courtroom, commemorating the centennial of public legal education in Idaho. Reminding the audience that the College of Law would officially reach its 100th birthday just two days later, on Sunday, September 20, President Agidius called attention to the College’s statewide mission and lauded its commitment to ethics and public service.

President Nellis noted the role a lawyer, James H. Forney, played in the formation of the University of Idaho while serving on the original Board of Regents and as the first (“provisional”) president of the University. Forney advocated for the establishment of a law school because, in his words, “rapid strides in the development of [Idaho’s] resources” and “the complexity of modern affairs” required “minds enriched by a knowledge of the history and a comprehension of the philosophy of law….” President Nellis emphasized the modern significance of interdisciplinary cooperation, exemplified by the “Waters of the West” law-and-science program on the University’s Moscow campus, as well as the strategic importance of the College of Law’s “second century” plan for development of an “Idaho Law Learning Center” at the state capital in collaboration with the Idaho Supreme Court, as authorized by the State Board.

Senate Majority Leader Davis expounded on the pride University of Idaho law alumni feel toward the College, mentioning that in a 2007 survey conducted by an independent consultant, 97% of the College’s graduates rated their legal education good or excellent. Senator Davis noted that when the College was housed in the University Administration Building, the students included future U.S. Senators Jim McClure (UI Law ’50) and Jim Risch (UI Law ’68), and that when it moved to the current Menard Building, it continued to educate leaders such as future Idaho Chief Justices Linda Copple Trout (UI Law ’77) and Dan Eismann (UI Law ’76). Senator Davis commended the College’s faculty for providing expertise useful to state and federal policy-makers on issues ranging from taxation to natural resources, and from water to business organizations and domestic relations.

Washington State University history professor Robert McCoy presented a slide show of images from the past, drawing upon research he conducted, in conjunction with College of Law library faculty member Michael Greenlee, in order to prepare a centennial history monograph that will be available early in 2010. (A series of essays on the centennial of Idaho legal education also will appear in the November 2009 issue of the Idaho State Bar magazine, “The Advocate.”) College of Law professor Monique Lillard capped the centennial celebration with a personal tribute to dean emeritus Sheldon Vincenti, whose administrative leadership from 1984 to 1995, and whose classroom teaching across a span of nearly four decades, established a foundation of excellence for the College’s second century.

Idaho’s Chief Justice and Attorney General Join the State’s Senate Majority Leader and Other Distinguished Lawyers and Judges on Law Advisory Council

On September 18, 2009 – the same day as the centennial observance – the College of Law Advisory Council conducted its fall meeting. The Council asked State Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis (UI Law ’80) to continue serving as chair in 2009-10, which he unselfishly agreed to do. Senator Davis and his predecessor, former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Copple Trout (UI Law ’77), have shepherded the Council’s involvement in the strategic planning process that has shaped the vision for the College’s future in both Moscow and Boise. During the meeting the College discussed plans for implementing a third-year program in the state capital and for combining private gifts with student fees and public resources in order to make the Boise extension a reality while continuing to support the home program in Moscow.

The Council also approved nominations of new members to replace members who would make a transition to emeritus status later this year. The new members will include the Hon. Dan Eismann (UI Law ’76), Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court; Hon. Lawrence Wasden (UI Law ’85), Attorney General of Idaho; Hon. Larry Boyle (UI Law ’72), Senior United States Magistrate, U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho; Boise attorney Tore Beal-Gwartney (UI Law ’93); Idaho Falls attorney Charles “Chuck” Homer (UI Law ’74), who also serves as President of the Idaho Law Foundation; Portland, Oregon, attorney Danielle Hunsaker (UI Law ’04); Washington, D.C., attorney Susan Moss (UI Law ’06); and Nampa attorney William F. “Bud” Yost (UI Law ’66).

The Law Advisory Council consults with the dean and law faculty on institutional planning, advocacy for the law school and public legal education in Idaho, curricular design, student recruiting and admissions, career development, and attracting highly qualified faculty and staff. A full list of current and emeritus members of the Law Advisory Council may be viewed on the College of Law website.

Washington State Bar Leadership Makes Ground-Breaking Visit to College of Law

On October 22-24, 2009, acting upon the suggestion of past Washington State Bar President and Pullman practitioner David Savage (UI Law ’73), the Board of Governors of the Washington State Bar Association held what is believed to be the Board’s first-ever regular meeting in Pullman. During the visit to Eastern Washington, a leadership delegation including President Salvador Mungia and WSBA executive director Paula Littlewood came to the University of Idaho for an open meeting with law faculty and students, organized by College of Law Associate Dean Helen Albertson-Ploucha and Director of Career Development Anne-Marie Fulfer. Subsequently, the full Board received an invited presentation by Dean Burnett on the College’s distinctive, ethics-oriented “first day of law school” program and on the Carnegie Foundation’s report, Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law (2007), which calls upon law schools to develop in every student a sense of professional identity and purpose. President Mungia later expressed appreciation for the College’s efforts to build a dialogue linking the bench, the bar, and the academy on issues of professionalism.